Irori
History 'T'he god of enlightenment, self-perfection, knowledge, healing, and inner strength, Irori's followers claim that he was once a mortal who achieved absolute physical and mental perfection and thus attained divinity of his own volition. Stories told in the Azvadeva Pujila recount Irori's quest for enlightenment and ultimate ascension to divinity. Appearance Depictions of the Master of Masters in art are quite rare because his followers believe that his true form cannot be adequately described by mortal hands. When he is depicted, he is generally shown as a physically flawless male with darker skin, a shaved head (except for a single long braid), simple robes, and wearing sandals. He is generally shown sitting or in meditative stances. Relationships Irori respects that other deities are different spiritual beings and that what is correct for him may not be so for them. He therefore tries to avoid interfering with other divine beings, unless they threaten his work or his people. He has an ongoing feud with Asmodeus, because of the Lord of Hell's penchant for corrupting or destroying the things that others have built. A minor rivalry exists between his faith and those of Cayden Cailean and Iomedae, as he considers their rise to deity status through the Test of the Starstone as cheating. Cayden Cailean finds Irori "stuffy". Despite similar tensions with Iomedae, followers of her faith allow paladins of Irori to train in their halls. Servants Worshipers and Clergy Irori is worshiped by all who seek enlightenment and self-improvement. Some green dragons worship Irori and suffer derision for so doing by other green dragons who call such worship the Cult of the Man God. Irori's priesthood consists primarily of clerics and monks. Priests are responsible for mentoring others as they try to attain self-perfection either by guiding followers or through rigorous testing and trials. Each must follow his or her own slightly different path to enlightenment, but there is little infighting among Irori's followers. Priests have no formal raiment, but prefer to dress plainly with a single long rope of braided hair they wear around their neck. Upon death, masters of the faith are said to join Irori to serve him for all eternity, while those who have not yet achieved perfection are reincarnated to begin the process anew. Temples and Shrines Temples are usually elaborate complexes filled with rooms for prayer, sleep, and exercise where the faithful train both day and night to achieve perfection and cleanse their ki, or life-force. They are not generally open to the public, and petitioners are asked to wait quietly outside and not disturb those who are meditating within. Holy Texts The followers and adherents of Irori's ways hold all knowledge as sacred, specifically that which can help to improve oneself and lead one closer to enlightenment. Unbinding the Fetters This is a lengthy tome describing meditation, physical exercises, dietary regimes and other methods to help mortals transcend their limitations. It is a difficult book, full of aphorisms, metaphors, and riddles designed to challenge the reader's preconceptions. Holidays Rituals require very specific preparation, both in mediation and diet, and each path to enlightenment may require different holidays and holy experiences. Dates are extremely important to Irori's faithful. Each follower of his teaching must decide for herself what dates are significant, as Irori's faith is an individualistic one. Of particular importance are the days that relate to a given temple or monastery, or that impact a given monk's path toward enlightenment. Presence on Fynn Irori is far and away the most common god worshiped by those living in Garanth. In that city is the largest and most elaborate temple on Fynn. Outside of Garanth, followers of Irori are much rarer as most of those who wish to follow in Irori's footsteps move to Garanth to be nearer the continent's seat of education. In other cities, temples to Irori aren't buildings put together for the purpose of being a church. Instead, a follower of the Master of Masters typically converts their home into the city's temple with little structural changes. As a result, Irori's temples outside Garanth are usually structurally identical to the houses in the area.